Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant will captain the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for the IPL 2025 season, as confirmed by franchise owner Sanjiv Goenka during a special announcement on January 20.
Pant, who was released by Delhi Capitals after a nine-year tenure, was signed by LSG for a record-breaking INR 27 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction. Given his hefty price tag, it was anticipated that Pant would take on the leadership role, and he appeared alongside Goenka during the announcement.
When asked which team he expected to join in the mega auction, Pant playfully named the franchise he thought would pick him. In a surprising revelation, the left-hander admitted he was anxious that Punjab Kings might sign him.
“Mereko andar se ek hi tension tha, woh tha Punjab (I had only one tension from within and that was Punjab). Second highest (purse) was 82 crore. Punjab had 112 crore. When Shreyas (Iyer) went there, then I thought I could go to LSG. I thought there might be a possibility,” Pant said while speaking on the chat on Star Sports.
Rishabh Pant’s IPL Captaincy Record
Rishabh Pant, who was with Delhi Capitals, captained the team in 43 IPL matches during his tenure. He led the side for three seasons: 2021, 2022, and 2024. Pant missed the IPL 2023 season due to injury.
In 2021, Delhi finished at the top of the league stage, but they were defeated in the first qualifier by Chennai Super Kings and in the second qualifier by Kolkata, failing to win the title.
In 2022, Delhi finished fifth on the points table, just missing out on a top-four spot. Upon Pant’s return in 2024 to lead the side, they again failed to make it past the league stage, finishing sixth.
Out of 43 matches, Pant has won 23 as captain, with 19 losses, giving him a win percentage of 53.48. As a relatively young leader in the IPL, Pant will face numerous challenges as he prepares to captain Lucknow in the upcoming season.
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